Project description
Enzyme-based strategies for improved antimicrobials
Although nature is a rich source for medicinal products such as antibiotics, peptide-based compounds may require further optimisation to improve selectivity, solubility and reduce toxicity. This often involves the addition of dehydroamino acids (dhAAs) which offers increased reactivity. However, current chemical methods to introduce dhAAs are inefficient and harsh. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the DeDAMPL project will investigate a unique enzyme that naturally adds dhAAs during antimicrobial peptide biosynthesis. Researchers will study the mechanism of action of this enzyme so as to generate an efficient strategy for incorporating dhAAs into peptides. The project is expected to diversify the molecular tools available for the development of antimicrobial agents.
Objective
Peptides found in nature, such as penicillin, are a vital source of the antibiotics used to combat infections. While many of these peptides possess useful antimicrobial properties, scientists often need to enhance their effectiveness by replacing some of their amino acid components with special, non-natural ones. This modification aims to identify superior antibiotic candidates with improved traits such as solubility, selectivity, and reduced toxicity. One such building block in this process is dehydroamino acids (dhAAs), which not only enable the creation of new functionalities beyond what natural peptides offer but also streamline customization during the design phase.
Despite the potential benefits, incorporating these special building blocks into peptides using chemical synthesis presents challenges and inefficiencies due to harsh reaction conditions. In my research project, I am exploring a novel approach for incorporating dhAAs into peptides by studying a unique dehydrating enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of a recently discovered antimicrobial tripeptide. This enzyme plays a crucial role in producing dhAAs-containing peptides with minimal energy input by facilitating a specific arrangement of atoms during the dehydration reaction.
By understanding this process better, I aim to develop a more general and efficient method to incorporate dhAAs into peptide structures under mild conditions. The ultimate goal is to produce antimicrobial peptides with enhanced properties, which can be further modified to create a diverse library of peptides with varying structures. This research not only expands our biocatalytic toolkit but also aims to environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and sustainable methods for producing a broader range of antimicrobial peptides.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
AB24 3FX Aberdeen
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.